On this day, May 8

1846 The first major battle of the Mexican-American War was fought at Palo Alto, Texas; U.S. forces led by Gen. Zachary Taylor were able to beat back Mexican forces.

1915 Regret became the first filly to win the Kentucky Derby.

1956 United States Steel Corp. formally opened its newly built Research Center, consisting of four buildings and covering 142 acres in Monroeville.

1985 The 10-plus-mile light rail transit line between South Hills Village and Downtown received a $19.7 million grant from the Urban Mass Transportation Administration. The money would pay for the completion of the line.

1996 South Africa took another step from apartheid to democracy by adopting a constitution that guaranteed equal rights for Black and white citizens.

2003 The Historic Isaac Meason Mansion in Fayette County was put up for sale on eBay. (There turned out to be no bids high enough for the sale.)

Some items are from Stefan Lorant’s “Pittsburgh: The Story of an American City” (digital.library.pitt.edu/chronology).

— Compiled by Rick Nowlin Today’s birthdays: Naturalist Sir David Attenborough, 96. Singer Toni Tennille, 82. Actor James Mitchum, 81. Country singer Jack Blanchard, 80. Jazz musician Keith Jarrett, 77. Actor Mark Blankfield, 74. Singer Philip Bailey (Earth, Wind and Fire), 71. Rock musician Chris Frantz (Talking Heads), 71. Rockabilly singer Billy Burnette, 69. Rock musician Alex Van Halen, 69. Actor David Keith, 68. Actor Raoul Max Trujillo, 67. Sports commentator/former Steelers coach and Crafton native Bill Cowher, 65. Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, 61. Actor Melissa Gilbert, 58. Rock musician Dave Rowntree (Blur), 58. Country musician Del Gray, 54. Rock singer Darren Hayes, 50. Singer Enrique Iglesias, 47. Blues singermusician Joe Bonamassa, 45. Actor Matt Davis, 44. Actor Elyes Gabel, 39. Actor Domhnall Gleeson, 39. Actor Julia Whelan, 38. Actor Nora Anezeder, 33. Thought for today: “Always listen to experts. They’ll tell you what can’t be done, and why. Then do it.”

— Robert A. Heinlein, American sciencefiction writer (born 1907, died this date in 1988)